The inventive concept relates to an apparatus for decreasing a thrust of a radial flow turbine. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus for decreasing a thrust of a radial flow turbine, which decreases a pressure that influences a shaft seal.
A radial flow turbine is a turbine in which rotor blades are rotated with a working fluid such as vapor or gas flows radially on a plane perpendicular to a rotary shaft. The radial flow turbines may be classified into radial outflow turbines and radial inflow turbines. In the radial outflow turbine, vapor or gas is introduced into the center of the turbine to flow radially outwards, whereas in the radial inflow turbine, vapor or gas flows radially from the outer circumference to the inside of the turbine to drive rotor blades of the turbine.
Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2004-0081075 relates to a conduit apparatus for a radial flow turbine, and describes a technology of a conduit apparatus for a radial flow turbine of a type that significantly avoids disturbances of functions when blades (rotor blades) are adjusted.
Meanwhile, a high pressure ratio has recently been required for turbines to increase a pure output of a vapor power cycle and an organic Rankine cycle, due to the problem of lack of energy. Accordingly, recently, radial flow turbines have required a durability against a high thrust.
In general, a thrust bearing is installed to eliminate a thrust applied to a radial flow turbine. However, the thrust bearing decreases the efficiency of the radial flow turbine by generating work due to a non-conservative force. If a thrust bearing is excluded from a radial flow turbine that requires an excessive thrust force or the size of the thrust bearing is reduced, the development costs and the size of the radial flow turbine may be reduced and the efficiency of the radial flow turbine may be improved.